FARMINGTON – A panel of school superintendents and Maine Department of Education Commissioner Susan Gendron are scheduled to give an update on the reorganization of Maine’s public schools Friday, Feb. 8.

The Western Maine Legislative Caucus will host a free breakfast and public forum on “Public School Restructuring Update: Where Are We Now” from 7 to 9:30 a.m. at the Olsen Student Center’s North Dining Hall on South Street at the University of Maine at Farmington.

When reorganization work began on the reorganization process last spring, education leaders in the region led a forum to discuss what they anticipated would happen, Tanya Swain, executive director of Western Mountains Alliance, said Friday.

Now a panel will give an overview of the process on the work that is being done, the work that has been done and what still needs to happen.

Regional planning committees have been formed in areas of the greater Franklin County area to set some guidelines on what new consolidated school systems and new overseeing school boards would look like, if voters approve the matches.

Representatives from SAD 9 towns in the Farmington area and SAD 58 towns in the Kingfield area are working with Highland and Coplin plantations representatives to form the Western Mountains Regional School District.

Jay and SAD 36 towns Livermore and Livermore Falls are also working on a plan to become Regional School Unit 40.

Union 37 towns in the Rangeley area also working to form a school system.

The panelists on Friday will be Gendron, Jay Superintendent Robert Wall, SAD 9 Superintendent Mike Cormier, SAD 36 Superintendent Terry Despres and SAD 58 Superintendent Quenten Clark.

Audience members will be encouraged to ask questions of the panel, Swain said.

Western Maine Legislative Caucus is sponsored by Western Mountains Alliance, UMF, Western Maine Community Action, SAD 9, Mission at the Eastward, Franklin Community Health Network and Greater Franklin Development Corp.

Swain said the group is trying to expand the forum series to the Oxford County region and are looking to develop partnerships in that area to make it happen.

“We’re in the process of making some of the connections now,” she said.

Anyone interested in partnering with the organization to provide the forum series in Oxford County could contact Western Mountains Alliance at 778-3885. The organization’s Web site is www.westernmountainsalliance.org and contains information on the forums.